Dear Diary
by RenegadeZabuzaMomochi
Summary: The chronicles of how Taki met Siegfried and how it came to be. Siegfried x Taki.
1. Love

Love.

It had been a wonderful three years to me. Well, three and a half. I never expected myself to find love and have a family. Really, I didn't. And I sure as hell didn't expect myself to marry the one man who was responsible for countless murders. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with the way my life is. No more troubles coming our way. No more nights of sleeping with a knife underneath my pillow. No more destruction. My name is Taki and I'm a proud mother of two little monsters married to a handsome German.

I remember when I first heard of Siegfried years ago. He was an experienced mercenary with the burden for killing his own father. If I can recall correctly, his band of thieves had ambushed his father's party of knights and it was his blade that had put an end to his life. He took it pretty hard and convinced himself that the dreadful Soul Edge was the one thing that killed his father. Our friend, Sophitia, had fought and supposedly killed Soul Edge's host. Cervantes de Leon. We thought it was over so I had enough courtesy to take Sophitia back home, to where she belonged. Not long after, that bastard Cervantes was resurrected and Siegfried delivered the final blow on the Dread Pirate. He took the male half of Soul Edge and consequently turned into the infamous mass-murderer known as Nightmare, the Azure Terror. It took him years to regain his sanity and separate himself from the revolting being. But Siegfried and I had managed to rid the world of Nightmare's existence.

"Is it over?" I remember asking Siegfried.

"Yes... it's over. We can go our separate ways now. You can live your life the way you wanted to and I can finally feel accomplished of redeeming myself," he told me.

"But... my life would be pointless now..."

"Pointless? How so? Aren't people waiting for your return back at Japan?"

"No, although I wish there were. My biological family was taken away from me years ago. And what's left of my old organization has disbanded."

"I see. I apologize."

"Apologize? Why would you apologize? You did nothing wrong against me to hold a grudge towards you. You have to stop asking for forgiveness one day, you know. You're not that special."

"Well, what are you going to do now?"

"I... I was hoping... that we could travel together, maybe? Extinguish the world from all of these demons."

"It will be a hard task, but I'm up for the challenge." Siegfried smiled to me when he said that. He looked so handsome at the time. He still is. That smile, the same face that caused all of the calamity across the world, melted my heart. It seems that I made the right choice by having Siegfried as my companion on my endeavor to eliminate any harmful threats regarding the cursed sword.

I remember that day. He destroyed Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. He had defeated Inferno inhabiting Nightmare's body and he had laid Algol's soul to rest. The day that the future had the probability to shine for a better tomorrow. The day it was all over.

I snapped out of my reverie as soon as I heard the door open and in came the German knight. I flashed him a smile and he gave me his. He looked exhausted, as if he had just came home from a campaign. He walked up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I leaned closer to him and familiarized myself with him by placing my hands on his chest. He may be short, but for a short European, he was muscular. I can safely say that all of that time swinging a ridiculously proportionate zweihander was the cause for his masculine physique. For a while, all he did was look into each other's eyes, smiling and enjoying the silent moment we're having together.

"I smell dinner. Smells delicious," Siegfried says, noticing the scent coming from the kitchen.

"It should be. I used to do this a lot when I was younger."

"Cooking?"

"No, throwing pheasants in an oven and watching them broil. Of course cooking."

"Looks like somebody went hunting. That's the man's job."

"And you weren't around to do the groceries, mister."

"I would have if I weren't summoned by Kilik and Maxi."

"Kilik and Maxi are in Germany?"

"Yes. They decided to tour Europe now that everything's peaceful."

"What about their female companion? What was her name..."

"Xiangshizzlefritz or something."

"I don't think her name is that complicated."

"I can't be bothered to remember it. Hard to remember."

"Ah, yes! Xianghua! Isn't she with them?"

"What did you expect? She hasn't given up hope in establishing a relationship with Kilik."

"What a spontaneous little girl. They're almost the same age."

"You can say that again."

"What is that supposed to mean, Schtauffen?"

"You're a Schtauffen, too. Mrs. Schtauffen, actually."

"You know what I mean."

"There's a six age difference between us, love."

"So? What prevented that from the attraction between us?"

"Nothing." Siegfried grinned at me.

"My point exactly." I chuckled at him.

I can tell Siegfried was feeling some form of excitement. His breathing pattern was raspy and he was hugging me slightly tighter. I kissed him on the lips and his hand was traveling my back. Then his hand went down lower and cupped my buttock and his other hand was massaging my breast. That got me into the mood. We kept kissing feverishly and kept groping each other. Siegfried moved me against the wall where he then lifted me up so I can wrap my legs around his waist. We would stop kissing for a few moments just to get some breath before continuing to press unto each other's lips again. He was about to remove my blouse, but a voice interrupted us.

"Mommy! Mommy!" the voice cried out.

Siegfried let me down as I unwrapped my legs and adjusted my skirt. I fixed my hair and I saw a small boy with blond hair running towards us. It was Frederick. Siegfried had wanted to honor his father by naming our second born after him. He had his father's eyes and hair colour, but he had my face. He ran up to me first and wrapped his tiny arms around my legs. I smiled and leaned down to reach to his height. I hugged him and then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"What is it, Frederick?" I asked.

"Is supper ready yet? I'm getting hungwy." Frederick's stomach growled and I just giggled.

"Yeah, no kidding. When is supper, darling?" Siegfried asked. His stomach growled as well. Like father, like son.

"Should be ready soon. I'm just letting the soup cook and then we can eat. Call your sister, baby," I told him. He ran quickly to his sister's room with a rush of anticipation.

"Sora, it's almost dinner!" he shouted.

"Do we have time to play, Mrs. Schtauffen?" Siegfried inquired suggestively.

"Not right now, honey. I have to check the cooking."

"W-what? B-b-but I just got back from a day's worth of touring Kilik, Maxi and Xianghua!" Siegfried complained. I laughed at that. He was acting like a little in need for something special.

"We can have some fun later tonight. Until then, keep your libido to yourself... Mr. Schtauffen."

"Fine, but I better be satisfied."

"You're not the only one who should be expecting to be satisfied."

"Touché."

I stride over to the kitchen to check if everything is ready. I opened up the pot and noticed that the vegetables were boiling intensely in the water. I grabbed a small spoon and scooped up a few carrots, onions and zucchinis to taste it. Dinner is ready.

I called my little dumplings and my horny husband over to the dining room. I saw Sora and Frederick bickering together as soon as they came into view. I gave them that You-Two-Better-Stop-Fighting-Or-Else-You're-Not-Getting-Any-Chocolate-Cake stare to quell their sibling rivalry. They stopped at that and Siegfried chuckled. Then I gave him the Don't-Bother-Trying-To-Make-Fun-Of-Me-Or-Else-You're-Not-Getting-Any-Pussy-Tonight look. Siegfried understood and he gulped in nervousness. I placed the food in the middle of the dining table and my kids were inhaling the scent. By the looks on their face, they were approving my cooking. By the way, did I forget to mention they're twins? Sora is twelve minutes older than Frederick. We all grabbed each other's hands to bless the table before we devour the fiesta plates in front of us.

"Would somebody like to bless the table? Honey?" I looked at Siegfried expectantly.

"Rub-a-dub-dub-dub, thanks for the grub." Siegfried reached in for the soup in front of him. I smacked him with the serving spoon and he pulled back, rubbing his hand.

"In all seriousness, Siegfried."

"What? What and who am I supposed to pray for? You're a Buddhist and I'm a Roman Catholic," he retorted.

"A simple 'Thank you for the food' would have sufficed."

"Fine, fine. Thank you for the food, all of you gods and religious figures from different religions."

"Better. Okay, you can eat."

"Eat what?" Siegfried wiggled his eyebrows knowingly.

"The food, you dolt." I saw Siegfried's expression change from that comment I gave him and I giggled. I served the twins first and then myself.

"Daddy," Sora spoke up.  
"What is it, sweetie?" Siegfried said with a mouthful of potatoes in his mouth.

"Why do you keep a broken sword with you?"

"For sentimental reasons."

"What kind?"

"Memories. It reminds me of your grandfather."

"Oh. Was he a nice man?"

"Absolutely. They used to call him the Gentle Knight when I was just your age."

"Cool!" Frederick said.

"Okay, children, we can ask questions later but for now... LET'S EAT!" Siegfried exclaimed. Our kids laughed at his enthusiasm to eat and began eating their food. If it's not food that Siegfried wants, it's sex. And if it's neither, then I don't know what the hell goes on in his mind.

After dinner, I put the little ones to bed. I told them stories I heard of when I visited many countries. Stories like these always put my angels to sleep. When I was done, they fell asleep right away. I softly tucked them in and went to the master bedroom where I saw Siegfried laying on our bed with his left leg extending out and his right leg curled up. He was shirtless and it showed off his muscular designs. He stared at me like a hungry wolf and his eyes roamed my body. I gingerly walked up to him and removed my blouse, exposing my voluptuous body to him. Siegfried groaned and sat up to feel my breasts as both hands cupped and massaged them. Then he proceeded to suckle on my right breast as I cocked my head back and moaned. He grabbed me and pushed me on the bed, quickly pulling his pants down. It exposed his member and I grabbed it with my left hand, rubbing the shaft up and down. He seemed appeased as his breathing was starting to get rapid. He removed my skirt and he inserted his member into my womanhood. I felt the warmness and the thick shaft inside of me. I moaned in pleasure as Siegfried began kissing my neck. As he kept thrusting, I bucked my hips upwards and moved in sync with his body. The more he thrust, the more pleasurable it became. I suddenly felt myself starting to loosen up as a wave of orgasm extracted from me. I could have sworn I climaxed three times before he reached his peak after what seemed to be for approximately one hour. After we finished, we departed our bodies. I felt that rush of blood crawling up my body. I felt so hot and I was sweating like no tomorrow. I wrapped one arm on my husband's body and laid on his chest. I felt so tired. I closed my eyes and dozed off into dream world. I had never thought I would be the type who would fall in love and settle down. Never. Yet, here I am with somebody who I used to view as my enemy, naked in bed with two children sleeping in their rooms. Never experiencing love before, I was amazed at what it can give you. If this is what it's like to be in love, then I wouldn't trade anything in the world for it. Love. I don't care what kind of love I would be in. The world needs more of it, regardless of what form it takes.


	2. Serendipity

Serendipity.

I remember the very first day that I met Siegfried. I think he was around twenty-one and I had recently turned twenty-seven. I had just arrived in Europe where fate conspired to arrange our meeting. He was wearing silver armour and he had a green cloak wrapped around his body. I almost laughed because the man was shorter than I had expected him to be. But I returned my attention back to what I came here for. I stood against him and was prepared to withdraw my kodachi, waiting for him to enter a battle stance. Siegfried just stared at me. Those cold, collecting eyes. Yet, with those eyes, I saw hints of regret and sadness. Those eyes told me he had seen enough blood shed. I kept my hands on one of my kodachi and leaned forwards. Then he walked slowly up to me and I tensed my body. But Siegfried just walked past me, nothing to say. I stood there in confusion. He didn't attack me? Was there something about my appearance? Was it because I was a woman? Angry, I turned around and watched him leave. He was walking towards the setting sun. I felt myself fuming with frustration but I didn't do anything to stop him. I walked away and decided to fight another day.

The very next day, I was tingling with anticipation. I slept at an inn near Uzbekistan. I was on my way to Siberia where I had heard there were reports of murders around that region. I quickly packed my things and left the country, on my way to Siberia. However, when I reached the place, all I ran into were graves and stories about a man clad in blue armour. No stories about a man in silver armour. I chose to follow the path of the Azure Knight, hoping it would lead me to Siegfried. I know they have some form of connection together. And if I can remember it all, it was a tragedy.

Siegfried was born to a German knight and a German woman. His father was named Frederick and his mother was Margaret. Frederick was considered the champion of the people and was a crusader. He learned swordsmanship from his father and he quickly adapted to it. When his father left for a campaign, Siegfried got involved with a bad crowd. He established a group of thieves dubbed the "Schwarzwind" or something. They thought all of their actions were for the good of their country and continued ravaging numerous towns for their country's "benefits." Then the day came where Siegfried would pay the ultimate price. His group led an assault on a group of knights and he successfully killed their leader. To his horror, Siegfried realized that he had slain his own father. This caused him to go on the brink of insanity to the point where he somehow convinced himself that there was only one thing that could have possibly killed him. He heard of Soul Edge and suggested that it was the sword that killed his father and not him. And so, he began his journey to obtain that sword.

There was a day when he actually did get the chance to find it. I met somebody on my journey to find Soul Edge and we both had intentions to destroy the sword, even though I was instructed to take it back to my clan's headquarters. She was a Greek woman sent by the gods to obliterate the sword because it wasn't created by her god and that it put a shame to the weapons he created. Her name was Sophitia and she was around twenty years-old when we met. She was a young warrior with great morals. She was able to kill Cervantes in the process of destroying the sword but she was gravely injured herself. I took her home and mended her wounds, removing the pieces of the blade that were embedded on her. I left Greece and when I was on my way to Japan, I heard that Cervantes had risen again. I was forced to go back and fight Cervantes myself but when I was half-way there, Cervantes had been killed. I was irritated by the news that spread around and decided to go back to Japan with some half-assed excuse to think of about why I came back without the sword in my possession. All I could think of was that the sword didn't exist and they were only rumors. I was wrong in the end.

After five years, I kept hearing about a man in blue armour on a rampage slaughtering mercilessly. The attacks were an epidemic and word traveled all the way to Asia. Then the news about the evil sword struck me. I was informed that Soul Edge was well alive and the man was devouring souls to completely resurrect the evil blade. I was given the task to find that sword and I accepted the mission. I took that night to contemplate and then I remembered I had a piece of Soul Edge. I tried to merge the fragment into my Rekki-Maru but it didn't cooperate. I had no success into amplifying my weapon. My ninjatou had been weakened. Before I left, I was given a new ninjatou that had a significant resemblance to my Rekki-Maru. I named it Mekki-Maru and I tried an attempt to combine it with a piece of Soul Edge. I went through the process of a ritual and indeed, it was a success. But I felt a demonic aura surrounding the weapon. I left the temple immediately and went on another journey to find Soul Edge. This time, I wasn't going to allow any interferences get in my way and no matter what, I will erase that sword from history.

I had little to no success in finding the man in azure armour. The closest I got to him was when I fought somebody in Ostrheinsburg. I recognized the aura she had and I was familiar with it. As I fought her, my Mekki-Maru could glow in a bright hue of blue every time I was forced to use it against her. Then I recalled of the story about Cervantes impregnating a woman by force and a child was left just in case something had happened to him. I half-guessed that this woman was his seed since she held the same aura that Cervantes did. I informed her about it during our battle because I was too worn out to fight any further. And by the look on her face, she was worn out as well and we decided to leave it a draw. She didn't believe what I said at first. Well, she sounded like she didn't want to believe me, but she left the castle and I was given the opportunity to find the man in azure armour: Nightmare. When I reached the throne room of the castle, nothing was there. I searched the entire castle up and down, but I found nothing linked to Nightmare. I remember falling to my knees and screaming that night. I was anguished and I was going to go home empty-handed again. But that's where I thought wrong.

There was the day when I met Siegfried again and the day I found out he had a link to Nightmare. He was the Azure Knight and I could tell because of all of the rumors about a man with a huge sword was going around. Nightmare wielded a large sword and so did Siegfried. But when we met, he didn't appear to have Soul Edge in his hand. What was latched on his back was an entirely different sword. Maybe he got rid of the sword. I thought to myself about it and I had the idea of fighting him and then questioning him. But that chance never happened, as Siegfried had walked away from me yet again. And yet again, I felt confused when he walked past me and I turned around to stare at him walk away. I felt embarrassed and angry at the same time. But I was more angry at myself for not making the first move. That was what happened to me two years ago.

Two years passed and I traveled around Europe and Asia, with a bundle of questions at hand. I left the clan on my own after discovering that my adoptive father and master went insane. He wanted to have Soul Edge in his hands because he sought power. I tried my best to dissuade him from the idea, but it was futile. He had set his mind on desiring power. To further avoid any casualties, I set out on another journey for the sword, in hopes I would find it and keep it far away from a hand's reach. It was two years since I had met Siegfried and it had been two years since I felt the embarrassment of being turned down a fight from him. I don't know why, but I can't seem to let this go. Everyday I felt so frustrated. If I ran into him now? I don't know how I'm going to handle the situation.

My first course of action was to go to Greece to let Sophitia know about the traveling sword. Plus, I wanted to see how she was. I left the port of Egypt and went North. I traveled by a merchant ship under the guise of a tourist. When we reached our destination, I immediately went to the Alexandra household. I remembered my way there so I had no problem locating it. When I entered the bakery, I saw no signs of Sophitia. The only person I remembered was her fiancé, Rothion. I got a number of mixed stares from the customers at the bakery. It was either because of my Asian characteristics or they never seen anybody dressed up in a body suit. I walked up to Rothion as it was the only thing I could think of doing to avoid all of the stares.

"Looking for Sophitia?" Rothion asked.

"Yes."

"She's at the gallery in Eurydice's Shrine."

"Thank you."

I walked out of the bakery and headed for the mountains. I ran as quick as my legs could muster, zigzagging through the people. I heard variations of 'What the?' and 'Watch where you're going!' as I slipped past them. Then I bumped into somebody and we both fell on the ground. I looked at the girl and saw her rubbing her back. She sort of looked like Sophitia but had a more chubbier face. She also had the same blue eyes and same hair colour. We both got up simultaneously and had a stare-down. The people around us looked on as if we were gladiators getting ready to fight a battle. I held on to my ninjatou in case it was needed.

"Watch where you're going, you hag!" she shouted.

"Hag? Don't you have any manners, little girl?"

"What the? I'm not a little girl!"

"With that attitude, you sound like a little girl."

"At least I'm not an old hag!"

"I'm only twenty-nine, you naughty child."

"Hah! You are an old hag! You old hag."

"Cassandra!" a voice boomed.

"Uh oh..."

"Sophitia?" I looked at Sophitia as she appeared out of nowhere.

"It's been a long time, Taki. Excuse my sister for her behavior."

"Your sister, huh? I was wondering why she looked like you."

"Appearance-wise. Our personalities is where we differentiate."

"I see."

"Cassandra, you should apologize," Sophitia demanded.

"Fine. I'm sorry that you're an old hag." Cassandra smirked.

"Cassandra."

"Alright, fine. I'm sorry for my rude behavior."

"Better."

"No problem. You have a lot of guts for running your mouth against somebody you've never met."

"I think she was dropped on the head too much as a child."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking, little sister. Anyway, what brings you here, Taki?"

"I think we should discuss this in a more private area. Like your bakery. Plus, I've always wanted to try Greek bread."

"Good. You can tell me how your visits went while you're at it."

"Deal."

"Wait, you two know each other?" Cassandra asked stupidly.

"Weren't you paying any attention to our conversation?" Sophitia asked, furrowing her eyebrows at her.

"Yeah, well, I thought you guys were just simple acquaintances or something."

"Taki was the one who brought me home when I left, Cassandra. She was the one who took care of my wounds."

"Ooohhh. Oh! I remember now! Sort of."

"It's good you remember." I smiled at her.

"Yeah. Sorry about earlier, again."

"Don't worry about it."

"Come, let's go to the bakery. I want to hear about everything." Sophitia turned around and started walking towards the bakery while Cassandra followed.

"Right." I followed both sisters to the bakery.

Sophitia and Cassandra's family welcomed me warmly into their home and invited me for dinner. We exchanged stories during dinner and I had a delightful laugh at Cassandra's embarrassing moments. Like the time she chased a Peeping Tom when she went for a bath or when she ran out of the house wearing her undergarments chasing a thief who stole bread from their bakery. Cassandra would groan or protest against her parents. After all of the laughing, they asked me questions about myself. I told them where I was from and what I did for a living. When asked about my occupation, Sophitia gave me that knowing look and I told them I used to work as a geisha. It was stupid, but that's all I could think of. Rothion asked me what a geisha was and I said a geisha was like an entertainer. He compared it to an actor in Greece and I just agreed to what he said. When we finished telling stories and everyone had decided to retire for the night, the three of us went out to the courtyard and began discussing about Soul Edge. As I told Sophitia about the stories, she became more troubled and more silent. She was quite concerned about the current whereabouts of Soul Edge. When I finished telling her what I knew, she looked at me with indignation because of her current state-of-mind about the sword.

"So who's bearing the sword now?" Sophitia asked me while looking at the ground.

"Somebody who goes by the name of the Azure Knight. Nightmare."

"Nightmare?"

"Yes, him. Speaking of which, I ran into him. Or what he was."

"Was?"

"His real name is Siegfried Schtauffen."

"Sounds familiar."

"German mercenary."

"I probably ran into him. Maybe, maybe not. What else do you know about him?"

"Well, he's unbelievably short for a European and he has blond hair. But what caught my attention most was his eyes... his eyes, Sophitia..."

"Somebody's fantasizing," Cassandra piped up.

"Stop that, Cassandra."

"But it's true!" Cassandra defended.

"It's fine. His eyes were what caused me to remember him the most. They didn't have the intent of a killer. They looked... soft and mournful."

"Maybe he didn't volunteer for this burden. Soul Edge must have influenced his well-being."  
"That's what I was thinking when he didn't fight me."

"He probably likes you or something. Love is anomaly! Or whatever." Cassandra flashed me a big, goofy smile of curiosity. I thought about it, and then blushed.

"Taki? You okay?" Sophitia questioned.

"It's nothing."

"We should call it a night. We can talk about this in the morning."

"Yeah, no kidding. At least I get to sleep in today." Cassandra got up and stretched her arms.

"Not likely. You're working two shifts tomorrow morning, Cassandra."

"What! What did I do?"

"You broke the table the other day when you graciously chased out a customer."

"Hey, he was looking at something he shouldn't have!"  
"Whatever the case, it's your responsibility now. You're working."

"Urgh! Fine, whatever." With that, Cassandra stomped away and walked to her room.

"Your little sister is a spontaneous one," I noted.

"I honestly don't know who she gets it from."

"She's a funny person to be around, though."

"I can agree. I just don't go along with her temper."

"Siblings," I chuckled.

We went in and decided to sleep. I slept in their guest bedroom and to be honest, the room was quite cozy. I changed my clothing and laid myself down on the soft mattress. Despite the comfortable feel, I couldn't really get myself to sleep that night. I tossed and turned and kept looking out at the window. And each time I stared at the moon, Siegfried's face would come into mind. I thought about why he didn't fight or kill me. I thought about why he didn't have a murderer's look. I have to get to the bottom of this and find out how he came the dreadful Azure Knight and why he chose that path.

The next day, Sophitia and I went to the town square and as a reason to visit, we spoke about Soul Edge and the probabilities of Siegfried's current predicament. She understood and even though she didn't say it, her silent hints were more than enough to tell me she planned on going on another adventure. When we arrived back at her house, she told Rothion about the sword's apparent return. I saw Rothion's sigh and expression, knowing full-well that she intends to leave home again. I packed my things and was ready to depart. I bid my farewells to the Alexandras and Rothion. Cassandra requested that I find and destroy the sword as soon as possible so her sister can have a safe return or that she doesn't have to go to another journey. I told her I'd try my best in tracking the sword down. I left Greece and followed my instincts by choosing to go East. I went with what my gut was saying and went that direction.

It was a week since I left Greece. I was stranded in a forest and it was heavily raining. I took refuge in a cave and built myself a fire to keep warm. I huddled close to it and wrapped a blanket around me. Its fabric was made from Greece and Sophitia handed it to me. I guess it was a way to thank me for informing her that the world is not yet safe and she said it would offer me protection with the help of her gods. I didn't bother to go against her religious beliefs because she would do the same. I let out a breath and saw the visible smoke swirl in a pattern when I exhaled. I rubbed my hands together and fixed it close to the fire. Within a few minutes, the fire died out. I thought of the other option and tried to fall asleep. I laid down on a smooth quilt and wrapped the blanket around me. I tried to doze off but I heard a howl. I perked my ears and focused my attention to locate where the ululation was coming from. I couldn't so I closed my eyes and partially let my guard down. Thunder roared through the sky and it stroked down as if Heaven was smiting a sinner. Then I heard footsteps. They were footsteps of metal clanking on the ground. I grabbed for one of my ninjatou and gripped it tightly as the sound kept getting closer and closer. When the sound stopped, I opened my eyes slightly and stared at a figure standing near the entrance of the cave. The figure approached me with left hand on the cave's walls for support and the other hand holding a massive sword. I waited for the chance to attack, for the individual to get closer. Before I could make the first move, the man fell down and collapsed within a few feet in front of me. I sat up and raised an eyebrow.

"You don't see that everyday."

I crawled to the man and moved his hair aside. I kept moving the strands of hair until I was able to see his face clearly. When I did, I saw a scar running down his face and I immediately recognized who it was. It was Siegfried! What was he doing here? I started gritting my teeth and I felt my anger boiling up in me. I wanted to hurt him. I wanted him to pay for the things he had done. I wanted the families that were killed to be avenged. I wanted to kill him. I grabbed my ninjatou and prepared for the killing blow. I arched my arm back and locked my gaze on Siegfried's throat. I slammed it down, inches away from his nose. He didn't move or wake up. Instead, he just groaned.

"Father..." Siegfried whispered.

With a bit of reluctance, I pulled him towards me and laid him on my lap. I felt his forehead and his temperature was rising. I reached for a towel and soaked it with some water from my canteen. I placed it on his forehead and then I removed his upper armour off. I pushed the pieces of armour away and proceeded to take his shirt off. When I did, I began to marvel at the sight of his body. He was in great shape and his physique was alluring. There were numerous battle scars suggesting he's been through a number of fights. I covered his body with the blanket and placed my hand on his forehead. His breathing pattern was rapid. I began stroking the side of his face for some reason. And strangely enough, I felt myself blushing. Why am I blushing? This was the man who drove the world into its sorry state that it is! He caused a lot of tremor and he shouldn't be forgiven! But then I thought about what I was thinking and went with the polar opposite factor. What if he didn't want to do what he did and the things he didn't weren't his choices? What if he's just a pawn? I mean, Soul Edge is a parasitic entity. What if he was told lies about the sword's true powers and he had been bargained with? I felt a rush of blood escalate to my temples as I saw Siegfried laying on my lap. And it was dangerously close to my crotch. Thoughts began to race through my mind. I was thinking about things I normally don't think about. I fantasized about his lips kissing mine. I fantasized about him touching me. And I fantasized about him taking me. The feeling was so tempting and I wanted to feel what it was like to lose my virginity. How I would lose a woman's innocence through the physical motions of when a man and a woman lay together. I fantasized on and on, and then, my eyes started to get heavy. They slowly closed and I entered my dream world.

The next morning, Siegfried was still laying his head on my lap. I looked at his breathing pattern and it went back to a normal rate. I moved his head away and placed a soft cushion made out of a folded quilt on his head. I went over to my bag and searched for any food. I had clothes, herbs, some water but I forgot to get food. I heard a small moan and I looked to see Siegfried getting up and rubbing his forehead. I watched him look around and he turned around and looked at me. He stared at me, almost recognizing who I was, and gave me that same look he gave me two years ago. It was the same look of pity. The same look of remorse. And the same look that appeared as if he deserves some form of redemption. He rubbed the side of his cheeks and tried to get up. He failed and nearly fell on the ground. He was on one knee with his opposite arm planted on the ground with his fist. He let out a breath of exasperation and looked up at me. I quickly turned around to my paraphernalia to avoid eye contact. He shook his head to get rid of the dazed feeling.

"What am I doing here?" he asked.

"You walked here."

"I did? I can't really remember. I take it you're the one who resuscitated me?"

"Sort of. I wrapped your body with a blanket. Are you feeling okay?"

"I hope so. Still dizzy. What happened? All I can remember was trying to defend myself and retreating to safety."

"I don't know what happened to you. I was settling in until the rain disappeared so I can continue my travel. It's a good thing it didn't or I wouldn't have attended to your need."

"I thank you."

"Why would you bother trying to defend yourself, anyway?"

"Some families have been murdered in the town near of here. They were able to recognize me as who I used to be and wanted to take revenge on their fallen. I had no choice but to fight back. I didn't kill anybody, and I was wounded enough to retreat. Then I suppose I ended up here."

"Oh. Do you recall about those events?"

"No. I'd wake up to a number of screams and dead bodies around me, however. I despise who I used to be."

"As Nightmare?"

"Huh? How did you know?"

"You're Siegfried Schtauffen." I looked at him as I sat down well-poised. He tilted his head and stared at me. He was bedazzled that I knew who he was.

"You are?"

"I'm... I ran into you two years ago."

"Is that so? I must have made some sort of an impact if you remember who I am."

"Considering that you're Nightmare, yes."

"Do not call me Nightmare!" Siegfried defended diligently and tensed his body. I leaned back and held an arm in case I needed to protect myself. He sighed and shook his head a little.

"I'm sorry. But you can't forget who you used to be."

"I wish I had that ability to do so. I would never have to carry burdens anymore."

"Oh?"

"I did something I shouldn't have years ago. I still regret it. I still live everyday thinking about what I did and how I became that awful being."

"Killing your father seems a plausible reason for seeking out the sword."

"W-what? How do you know that?"

"Word spreads swiftly around the world, Siegfried. It's my job to exterminate evil. And it's my job to know about Soul Edge."

"What are you, another one of those holy warriors sent by gods?"

"No, I'm a terminator. I seek out evil and I do my best to destroy it. Religion isn't something I think about with my occupation."

"As a demon killer, right?"

"Yes."

"So why didn't you kill me?"

"Many reasons. One is that I need to question your motives. The other is how you were able to regain your sanity." Siegfried stared at me and then he looked at the ground. He let out a sigh and began to tell the story.

"I was able to relieve myself from Nightmare. I went back to where I vacated myself and I challenged a swordsman from France, I think. I nearly killed him but rationalization sprung out of my mind and I was able to fight off the embodiment within me. And in a last ditch effort, the swordsman struck a blow on Soul Edge, nearly destroying it. That was the day I regained my sanity. I would travel the lands in hopes of redeeming myself but everyday, I ran into people whose family members were lost because of my evil deeds and I was always forced to fight them just so I can survive. I tried convincing the people that I am not... him... but they never believed me. At least, it isn't so bad as it used to be."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because of all of the things that have been happening, I'm hearing stories about Nightmare rampaging the lands. Nightmare must be back."

"Wait, weren't you Nightmare? How is that even possible? I thought the sword was destroyed."

"Almost. I can safely guess that somebody or something resurrected him. When I was Nightmare, I was the host of an entity known as Inferno. Inferno created my alias. So Inferno must have been brought back and resumed the title of the Azure Knight."

"Who and what kind of a person has that ability?"

"If I've never believed in miracles and disaster, then I would never believe in Nightmare rising from the depths of Hell."

"But Soul Edge was destroyed, yes?"

"Not entirely. I was able to do one last thing to prevent it from being used at full capacity."

"Which is?"

"This." Siegfried grabbed a large satchel and unwrapped it. What I saw was something I didn't want to believe. I gasped at the sight and lo' and behold, it was Soul Edge. But something was stabbed on to the body of Soul Edge. It was a large blue sword. I couldn't feel anything emitting from both blades.

"Soul Edge!"

"And Soul Calibur."

"Soul Calibur?"

"A holy sword with the powers opposite of Soul Edge. It appeared to me and I used it to fight against Soul Edge. Both powers are silent as of now."

"Soul Edge and Soul Calibur..."

"Yes. Both were created by the legendary Hero King."

"I heard of him. Legend says that he created Soul Edge as the most powerful sword to ever have been alive. His son was jealous and tried to take it from his father. He didn't have the mental strength needed to contain the demons in it and succumbed to its evil presence. The Hero King had no choice and struck his son."

"And then he forged Soul Calibur as a way to retaliate against the sword."

"I see. So there are two Soul swords."

"Yes. This was the second time I was able to witness the power of Soul Calibur. The first was at my fortress. The second was when it appeared to me." Siegfried got up and prepared to put his armour on.

"Well, what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to destroy both swords. I'm going to find a way to end all of this despair and trouble that both swords caused the world..."

"I'll go with you," I said with no hesitation.

"What? Why?"

"I have a reason to destroy the swords as well. It gave me the same amount of trouble I share with the world, though I don't think it matches with yours."

"You're going run into more of it if you go with me."

"I don't care. I've had my share of it. I eat things like these for breakfast."

"Strong words. You still didn't give me a better reason for me to allow you to come with me."

"That sword caused the only type of family I've ever had growing up misery. I think that should suffice."

"You're not going to give up, aren't you?" Siegfried sighed. I smiled and stood up.

"Not until I witness both swords destroyed."

"Alright. I wouldn't mind the company."

"Splendid!" I offered my hand and held it out for Siegfried. "Taki." Siegfried grinned and shook my hand.

"Siegfried Schtauffen. You know that already."

"Uh huh. So where are we going?"

"Something tells me we should go Ostrheinsburg. I have a feeling Nightmare would be there."

"Very well. One question, though."

"What is it?"

"If Nightmare was able to come back, how would that be possible? I mean, you have Soul Edge in possession."

"I don't know, but I want to find out."

"Right. To Ostrheinsburg we go."

"Yes..."

I quickly packed my things and we decided to head out. Siegfried suggested we go by ship because there was a war going on near the Poland and Romania. He said we can take a ship to Italy and we could head up North on land to Germany. I agreed, feeling happy that I don't have to travel alone. We reached Albania and Siegfried spoke in their native tongue to get us a deal on a ship. We were able to purchase a ship, a crew and a captain. He said we could leave in the morning and we slept in separate rooms at an inn. As I looked up at the ceiling in my bed, I realized that my adventure with Siegfried Schtauffen was about to begin.


	3. Dreams and Dread

Dreams and Dread.

We were boarding the ship the following morning and we were ready to leave Albania on an English merchant ship. The captain informed us that we should be able to reach Italy by midnight. Siegfried settled their agreement and I was being stared at with lecherous eyes. I scoffed at the men, knowing that if they put a hand on me, I'm going to guarantee that they don't return home. The captain offered us the passenger room and we gladly took it. We went in and took a look at the passenger room and I noticed that it was a room with one bed in it. I quickly blushed after realizing that Siegfried and I would be sharing the same room. I looked at Siegfried and he just took a glance at me. He looked at the captain and nodded.

"We'll take it," he said.

"But of course. 'Tis all I can offer for the young couple," said the captain.

"Couple?" I asked softly and raised an eyebrow. Apparently the captain didn't hear and he left the cabin.

"I'm going back to the port to get the rest of our stuff." Siegfried looked back at me and I nodded approvingly. Clearly he didn't hear the captain mistaken us for a couple.

"Alright. I'll be in here."

"Don't you want to meet the crew?"

"Yes, and I'm going to give the crew exactly what they want when they gave me those perverted stares." I rolled my eyes and Siegfried chuckled. He left the room and went to get our stuff. I walked over to the bed and sat down, bouncing up on it a bit. "At least it's comfy. Oh, wait a minute. This bed is big enough for the both of us. I'm going to be sleeping in the same bed with Siegfried?" I said to myself. Thoughts quickly rushed to my mind and they kept getting more sexual as I kept thinking about them. I brushed them off as I shook my head vehemently and covered my face with my hands. "Why in the world am I thinking these things?"

I heard a horn blow after an hour had passed. I looked outside of the cabin and watched the crew working on the deck of the ship. The captain was barking orders to his men and they double-timed their duties. I saw Siegfried looking around at them doing what they were supposed to do with our luggage. I leaned against the door's frame and folded my arms. A smile formed across my face as I stared at the German. He was pretty handsome, and I wasn't really interested in things like these. All I was taught was to do what I'm told to do. Siegfried spotted me and he picked up our baggage. I went over to help him and grabbed the lighter ones. Once inside of the passenger room, he dropped the luggage on the ground and he quickly looked at me. I stared at his teal eyes and I opened my mouth. Siegfried bent down and I watched his hands go down to where mine were. I thought he was going to grab them but instead, he took the bags I was holding and placed them on the bed. I rubbed the back of my neck because I felt so flustered. Siegfried opened the window and allowed the gentle breeze to enter. His hair was flowing with the wind and I felt it press gently on my face. He sniffed the air and stretched his arms out. Then he leaned against the wall as he began to unbutton his shirt. I thought he was going to remove it but he only unbuttoned the first two buttons on his shirt. I walked up to Siegfried and watched as we slowly departed Albania. I sighed and Siegfried looked at me.

"Something wrong, Taki?"

"No, nothing. I feel a bit tired, that's all."

"I can leave the room if you want to rest. I'll be with the captain."

"Sounds like a good idea. I don't think I got enough sleep last night."

"Neither did I. Kept looking out the window."

"Something was on your mind? I know something was on mine."

"Not really. Birds kept pecking on the window. Interrupted my dream. Why, what was on your mind?"

"Oh, nothing too important. What were you dreaming about?"

"A land of chocolate, for some odd reason. I was munching on a chocolate lamp post. Anyway, if you need me, you know where to find me."

"Alright."

I watched Siegfried exit the cabin. When he left, I sat down on the bed and then I felt myself laying down. I stretched my body out and it still wasn't long enough for me to reach both ends. I put an arm under the pillow and stared at the ceiling. Those thoughts about Siegfried being in the same room and the same bed crawled back in again. I grabbed for the other pillow and I placed it on my face. I wanted to scream for an answer to why I was feeling like this. I was like on a high and Siegfried was the cause of it. I turned to face the window and I pouted. What the hell is going on with me? I'll figure this out when I get a good rest.

I slept for a good few hours and I sat up, scratching my eye. I woke up to the sound of joyous laughter and I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. I left the cabin and stretched my arms out, letting out a yawn. I was about to head down but I saw Siegfried staring towards the horizon. Night had already fallen and it was getting cold. I crossed my arms and felt my body shivering. I looked up and I saw one of the crew members steering the ship. He was engaging in a conversation who seems to be the navigator. I approached Siegfried and I tapped his shoulder. He was wearing his armour and he had a blue scarf around his neck. He turned around and he gave a faint smile. This was the first time he showed me that smile. I stood closer to him as we both looked in front of the silent path ahead of us. Every time we exhaled, a cloud of smoke left our mouths.

"A beautiful night," I started to break the silence.

"It is. A night of mystery and reminiscence."

"Reminiscence?"

"I killed my father during nightfall."

"I shouldn't be asking what happened exactly. And I haven't said it earlier, but I'm sorry for what happened."

"Why? What do you have to apologize for? It was my fault that he's no longer alive. I should take the blame."

"But it was an accident, no?"

"Accident or not, I had no right to kill that man. And I certainly had no right to take the lives of others."

"I still don't believe that's your fault."

"Why?"

"Everything happens for a reason. There's always a plan in every action we take and there's always a consequence. It's how we deal with what we did that really matters."

"I guess. But I would trade anything in the world just to take back what I have done."

"So would I."

"Why, what did you do?"

"Not really what I did, but I wouldn't mind going back in time to live the life of an ordinary person."

"Is it family?"

"It's always been about family. I never grew up in an ordinary household."

"Your parents were that strict?"

"I wouldn't know. They died when I was an infant."

"I apologize."

"Don't blame yourself for everything, Siegfried. You're not that special, you know." I smiled at him. His expression didn't change, however. He still had that guilty look on his face. "Besides, they were taken from some sort of sickness."

"So you were raised by others?"

"Evidently. I was raised by a number of shinobi and kunoichi."

"What?"

"A shinobi is a special type of an assassin. The common English word for a shinobi would be ninja."

"And a kunoichi?"

"Is a female version of a shinobi. Which is what I am."

"So you're an assassin."

"Yes. We were taught stealth, celerity, killing moves and a different version of perseverance. I was taught by my master and adoptive father. I always looked up to him when I was younger but everything changed when he became obsessed with Soul Edge. I abandoned my clan so I can get rid of that sword."

"You have a good head on your shoulders."

"I maintain the facade well."

"So I see." Siegfried and I shared a chuckle. I heard his stomach growl and he held on to his stomach. "I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry. We should go to the mess hall and see what's there to eat."

"Sounds good. Lead the way."

"Ladies first."

"Hell if I'm leading the way. I don't want to get anymore disturbing stares from those slobs." I grunted and shuddered at the idea of those men thinking about me in a way men normally think of women. Siegfried laughed and went ahead to lead the way.

Walking down the mess hall, the laughter kept getting louder and louder. We didn't talk at all when we were heading down. I let myself enjoy the opportunity to be around Siegfried when I can. He was only being silent because he wanted to fill up his stomach. The only sounds that were being made were by his boots stomping on the wooden floor and my zori sandals lazily tapping it. When he opened the door, the crew took a moment to look at us before going back to whatever they were enjoying. I felt grossed out by them and felt uneasy. Siegfried didn't care and had a face of indifference on him. He went over to where a table of food was displayed and I followed. By the look and smell of the food, he was delighted. He grabbed me a plate and I bowed my head. I reached for some chicken and vegetables. Siegfried took everything he could and had a mountain of a plate. We walked to a table far enough from the men so that we can mind our own business and be out of ear-shot. While we gorged on our plates, we had a conversation about what to do with the swords. We came up with many suggestions but every time we thought about them, there was always a plan to backfire against our ideas.

"I can't simply toss it down the sea. People are bound to run into it. And there's Nightmare. The only possible way I can think of defeating him is if I use the holy sword."

"But don't you think relying on such power would have a terrible consequence?"

"I'm willing to risk another chance. At least this cause would be a whole lot better than what I did before."

"That may be true, but that's what you thought about Soul Edge."

"At least with both swords in my hand, I can have leverage against him."

"Whatever you say. I still believe natural strength is the true cause behind victories."

"It is. I'm just going to see what this power can do. And I'm not going to use it again once I accomplish this task."

"Good choice."

Siegfried turned to look at the crew. The ship's chef was telling them stories about sea gods and mermaids. The crew was obviously fascinated by the stories by the look on their faces and their applause. The chef was exaggerating greatly to emphasize the stories so they appeared to be believable and worth the story-telling. Siegfried and I watched them as we enjoyed each other's company and the story. I never heard much about leviathans since I grew up in mountains. I liked how similar some of the stories were to the ones told at home. We were approached by the captain and he grinned at his crew. He had two mugs in his hand and he handed us one each. I raised an eyebrow and looked down at the mug and smelled alcohol coming from it. Siegfried raised his and he looked at me. He took a large gulp and swallowed it as if it were nothing. I looked back at the captain to see him with his arms folded and giving me that grin he gave to his crew. I looked back to Siegfried and then back to him. Of course this was a drink but I was wondering why he would give me one.

"English lager, miss. Have a taste," the captain suggested with a thick accent.

"I know what it is."

"Then have a go at it! Makes you sleep faster and enjoy your husband's company the more you drink this." Siegfried's eyes widened and he spat out a large amount from what he drank. He wiped his mouth and looked at the captain with his eyebrows lowered. I put a hand on my mouth to prevent myself from laughing out of control and not to tell him about what he said earlier to me. Well, to us but Siegfried was too deaf to realize it. The captain laughed at Siegfried and pat his back a couple of times. "You look tense, lad. Drink up. There's more in tha' keg if you and yer lady need more 'motivation' to keep the both of ya' busy fer tha' night."

"Jesus Christ, are you trying to get us drunk?"

"In a sense, my boy. If ya' get drunk, ya' sleep faster. And by tha' time the both of ya' wake up, we would be in the wond'rous town of Rome."

"One night wouldn't hurt, right... darling?" I teased Siegfried.

"I guess not."

"Hear, hear!" shouted the captain. His crew responded and they all gave us that knowing smile as if we were going to do something. Siegfried rubbed his forehead and groaned a little. I just smiled at him at the ship's playful attitude.

"I can't believe him."

"Oh, come on, Siegfried. There's no harm in living a little. Relax."

"I am relaxed."

"Not with the way you sound, you're not."

"Fine, but I'm going to have a massive headache when we wake up."

I leaned closer to Siegfried and he pulled on his collar. I could tell he was feeling hot because of all of the armour he was wearing. Siegfried took a swig from his mug and drank down as if it were water. He went to get a refill from the keg and came back to the table within seconds. I took baby sips because the drink was very foreign to me. I was used to the sake back at home so I have to get adjusted to this. We went back to listening to the chef's tales about his adventures as we drank.

It had been an hour and the crew left us alone. Siegfried and I kept exchanging stories and the alcohol was helping us both loosen up. Siegfried told me about why he carries a massive sword. These "zweihanders" were used to fend off spears and other pole arms. After the misfortunate event he caused, he went to Ostrheinsburg to serve under Sir Stefan to obtain what he believed to be Soul Edge. He joined his Landsknecht and ascended the ranks, getting closer to Sir Stefan. He found the opportunity to kill the noble and ran away with the Grim Blade. Then I told him about my story. I told him about growing up to be a skilled assassin. I told him about why I left the clan and why I decided to pursue the sword alone. Every time I spoke, I would look into his eyes. His eyes focused on me and he would pay attention to everything I'd say. That's what I liked about him. Unlike some of the Fu-Ma ninja back home, no one would listen to me. It wasn't until I became that age where the men got interested in me. I would shove them away, of course. I didn't have that kind of a mind to fall into their devious trap. But whenever I'm with Siegfried, I feel like I've already fallen into that kind of a trap. I don't know how severe it's going to get, but something tells me it will be worth it.

"Getting hot in here," Siegfried said. He took off the top portion of his armour and placed it next to him on the ground.

"Yeah, no kidding."

I waved myself with my hand to fan myself. When that wasn't proven any use, I opened my shirt and allowed the breeze to enter. I felt my chest accentuate and I could tell my nipples were erect and protruding from my shirt. The look on Siegfried's face told me so, and where he was staring. I giggled at him and he snapped out of his focus. His cheeks turned a bright red and he looked away from me, shaking his head. I smiled some more and moved my chair closer to his. I felt his breath on me since we were that close.

"It's kind of getting hotter, don't you think?" I inquired suggestively.

"Uh... yeah... hot... getting hot... yeah..." Siegfried mumbled.

"Siegfried?"

"Y-yes?"

"Something on your mind?"

"No, not really. Why do you ask?"

"You seem tense."

"Just a little."

"Let me help you ease up that tension."

"How so?"

I didn't answer. I just snickered at him mischievously and reached for his hand. I grabbed his right hand and placed it on my chest. Siegfried gulped and I felt his nervousness on his hand since it was starting to shake. I pushed his hand closer to my breast so he can feel the soft flesh some more. Once I took my hand off, his hand remained there. Siegfried stared at his own hand and he pulled away. I pouted playfully at him and placed his hand back. I motioned his hand with mine clockwise and when I moved my hand away, he was doing it by himself. I felt myself enjoying this as he began to grope me. Then his other hand went for my other breast and he began fondling them as if he's never laid a hand on a woman in such a way. I leaned close to his neck and began kissing it. I lightly scratched his nape and felt him quiver. I felt both of his hands move away from my chest to his abdomen and I was sort of disappointed. I was surprised when one hand traveled inside of my shirt to go back to where his hand was and the other went down to my thigh. I gasped and I kept smiling naughtily at him. Siegfried started to play with my nipple and I moaned delightfully. I pushed my chest forward and arched my back as I let Siegfried closer to my chest. He leaned down to my neck and began to kiss it softly. I felt his tongue glide up and down the side of my neck and I felt myself feeling warmer. He took his hand out of my shirt and bent down to where my chest was. He lifted my shirt up so he can get a good view at my breasts. Both of them were sticking out and judging by the look on his face, he's never seen anything this big before. He leaned down and began to play with my left bosom whilst his other hand went into my skirt. He rubbed his fingers inside of my undergarments and I felt my spine tingle. I could tell my cheeks were redder than the devil's skin tone. He kept suckling on my breast like a hungry infant and I was enjoying it. I gave into the temptation and placed my hand on his pants where his crotch was located. I removed the buttons on his pants and I quickly pulled out his member. It felt long and it felt incredibly wide. I started to massage it and I can hear Siegfried mumble in pleasure. I bit my bottom lip and closed my eyes throughout the course of our actions. When his lips began to move upwards and kiss my cheeks, I looked down at what Siegfried was carrying. I was impressed at his size. For a short man, he was pretty long and thick. I gasped again when I felt Siegfried's fingers enter me. He didn't give me any time to adjust my position. He kept jamming in me like I'm used to something like this. I pressed my cheek against his shirt as I bit on his collar. After a few minutes, I felt something tingle in me and I released a wave of orgasm. Siegfried didn't stop, though, and I didn't want him to. He played inside of me and I pulled his hand out. He looked a little bit disappointed but I rubbed the stem of his member. I looked down at it and I thought of something. Without any hesitation, I gripped his shaft and I bent down and opened my mouth. He didn't expect me to do this, and he sure as hell didn't expect me to put all of him inside of my mouth. I bobbed my head up and down while one hand rested on the back of my head, caressing my hair a bit and the other fondling my chest. Siegfried's breathing was getting more rapid and I kept moving my head up and down, left to right. I slowly glided my mouth up and I reached the head. I suckled on it and planted kisses before I went back down to turn my head to the side, licking the bottom of his shaft. I put his member back inside of my mouth and I continued to motion myself seductively. The only sounds I could hear was my saliva smothering his shaft and his loud breathing. I suddenly felt him squeeze my bosom a little tighter and the hand on the back of my head gripped the back of my skull. I don't know why, so I kept on sucking down on him. All of a sudden, I felt a wave of thick liquid squirt into the roof of my mouth. I swallowed it and I didn't like the taste of it. I didn't care as I continued to keep moving my head up and down. I did that for a few minutes until I felt another wave shoot in my mouth. He shot his load further down into my throat and I gagged a bit. I pulled out from his mouth to look at his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth was open. I leaned close to him and kissed his mouth, letting my tongue enter and play with his own. He didn't like the taste of his cum since I felt him gag. I giggled while we were kissing and he continued to massage my chest. I turned to my right and I hit something hard. It felt like I hit a tree. I opened my eyes and I saw a wall in front of me. I sat up and I saw Siegfried sitting on a chair near the door with his armour on and his arms folded. His head was lowered and he was nodding up and down. He was asleep. If he was asleep, then so was I. What in the world did I just dream just then? I rubbed my face and I looked down to see that I hadn't changed my clothes. Nothing was altered. No buttons were removed and there were hardly any crumples on my clothes. I plumped back and went back to sleep. It's a good thing I didn't wet myself or anything.

"You cur!" a voice shouted. I was a little awake to hear the voice. I felt the ship rocking back and forth and the waves splashing. I also heard swords clashing and feet running around and random voices being yelled, but the one that was the most distinguishable was Siegfried's. I fought hard to fall asleep but I was disturbed by deep breathing. And it sounded near. I opened my eyes and with the help of the candle, I saw a shadow on the wall. The person was wearing the captain's hat and two objects stood out as if they were swords. I slowly turned around and I quickly rolled away as the person struck down with both swords. One of the swords looked like it was the female half of Soul Edge while the other was a curved sword with a pistol's body serving as the hilt. I looked up at the man's face and I saw ghastly eyes. He had no pupils. I held my breath as I realized who it was.

"Cervantes."

"Hahaha, yes, that's right. Why don't you give up already?" Cervantes goaded me.

"Unlikely." I turned around and grabbed my kodachi but as I turned around to face him, he kicked my side and sent me flying across the room, breaking down the door.

"You're not going anywhere!" Siegfried shouted. I looked up and saw Siegfried assaulting somebody with a slap from his zweihander. It chopped the unfortunate person in half. From the looks of it, Siegfried had been fending these assholes off while I was asleep. I turned around to see Cervantes slowly approaching me.

"Not so fast," he told me.

"I'm through with words." I pushed myself up and dodged one of his attacks.

"Try this!" Cervantes took a swing at me, but I dodged. I let out a shriek and I punched him in the gut.

"Stay down!" Siegfried shouted. I turned around to see the crew and the captain's bodies laid on the ground. They were dead.

"Surprised, little lady?" Cervantes laughed, mocking me. I smirked and wiped the blood from my mouth.

"Are you done now?" He tried to take two swings at me, but I somersaulted and appeared behind him. I grabbed his jacket and I threw him out into the open sea. I heard him yelling followed by a splash. I turned to Siegfried delivering a number of blows on the pirates that raided our ship.

"Time to fly!" Siegfried yelled as he launched one pirate into the air. He landed and crashed through the deck. I ran up to the top and I found a musket near a burning barrel. I loaded two rounds and I whistled. It got their attention and some of the pirates looked at me.

"Over here!" I shouted. Several of them approached me and I shot down two of them. I didn't have the chance to reload so I grabbed a barrel and threw one down the steps. They fell down and the barrel exploded. I suddenly realized there was gun powder within the ship and I jumped down, running to Siegfried.

"That's it!" Siegfried stomped furiously on the ground on the downed pirate. I grabbed him and we jumped off of the ship right when it exploded. We jumped in the air as we were thrown off by the explosion and we flailed our arms and legs. Siegfried was the last to dive so he felt the explosion before I did. When I resurfaced, I saw Siegfried unconsciously floating.

"Siegfried!" I swam to him and grabbed him. I placed him on a wooden raft made from the ship and I swam to where our stuff were. When I came back, I laid on the raft and I closed my eyes.

I don't know how long it was but I felt the sun basking on my skin. I groaned as I felt my body shifting back and forth like crazy. I kept hearing voices but I wanted them to stop. I wanted to sleep some more. I felt my face being tapped and when I opened my eyes, I saw a blurry Siegfried. I could tell it was him because of the long blond hair.

"Taki."

"Mmm."

"Taki!"

"Ugggh..."

"Taki, wake up!"

"Urgh... huh?" I sat up and looked around. We were on a pier.

"Good, you're awake."

"Where are we?"

"Italy."

"Italy?"

"Yeah. We drifted here."

"How do you know we're in Italy?"

"I saw some of the signs. Plus, the 'Welcome to Rome' kind of threw it off."

"We made it!" I got up but I felt myself fall down. Siegfried quickly caught me and my chest fell on both of his hands. He didn't squeeze them, but I didn't care. I was exhausted.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You need to relax. We'll go to an inn."

"What about our stuff?" Siegfried pointed to an elderly man who waved at us.

"I gave him some money to watch our things. I'll be back for them."

"Suits me..."

"Alright, up we go!" Siegfried carried me on his back.

We reached the inn within a few minutes. It felt like forever while I was riding his back. I heard people talking very loudly around us. I could still feel water splashing in my ears. When we reached the inn, he didn't even check-in. I guess that he already paid the inn-keepers before I regained consciousness. He took me to a room where I spotted two beds. He gently placed me on one and he was about to walk out. Before he did, he turned around at me and I sat myself up.

"How long were we out?"

"Quite a while. It's only nine o' clock. You rest here while I go get our crap."

"Good idea. I'm so tired."

"I'll be back."

I laid against my bed and I fell asleep almost right away. I woke up the next morning with a bowl of soup on top of a table next to me. Siegfried entered the room the instant I woke up and saw that I came to. He silently greeted me while he blew on his bowl. I felt the scent drift to my nose and I liked what I was smelling. We ate in silence. I gorged on my food like I hadn't eaten in days. I looked at the corner of my eyes that he was watching me eat. I turned to him and gave him one of those 'What?' looks and he chuckled. Once we were done, we put both bowls aside and I leaned against the wall while I extended my legs outwards on the bed. I looked at Siegfried and he gave me a small wave. I looked out the window and saw the people walking around town.

"What time is it now?"

"Should be around ten or so," Siegfried informed me. I got up and stretched.

"We should go around Italy."

"For what?"

"I want to find out what's so romantic about this place."

"Don't we have a job to do?"

"Yes, well, we've already been doing over-time with that little encounter on the ship. I think we deserve a break."

"I guess. This is going to cost us precious time, though."

"Like what I said, Siegfried, you should loosen up and live a little!"

"If you say so. I guess we can tour the place."

"Great!" I beamed a smile at him. He sat on his bed and I continued to look at him. I tilted my head and flashed him a smile that would cause somebody to question what you were thinking about.

"What?"

"I'm going to change and if you plan on watching me, you go ahead. Otherwise, you can wait outside."

"Oh, sorry!" Siegfried left the room and started scolding himself in his native tongue. I giggled as I heard the door closed and began to take my clothes off. I was kind of hoping he was there to watch me change so I can see his reaction. Ah, well.

"Oh, Kami... what is wrong with me?" I thought to myself.

"What was that?" Siegfried called from the other side of the door.

"Nothing!"

"Right."

"Sure as hell wasn't nothing."

"Huh?"

"I'm still changing!"

"I'll be downstairs!"

"Okay!" I opened my bag and I picked out a pink kimono. "This looks good. I want to see Siegfried's face when I wear this. What a dork."


End file.
